Boy, six, killed in quad bike accident on Northern Irish farm

Tributes have been paid to a boy, aged just six, who was killed in a quad bike accident on a farm in Northern Ireland.

The boy, named locally as Joseph Hegarty, died after the incident near Ballycastle, Co Antrim, on Friday 16 August.

A Health and Safety Executive spokesperson said it was aware of the incident and was liaising with the police.

The police added they were treating it as a sudden death.

Sean McBride, chairman of Carey Faughs Hurling Club, described Joseph, who was known as Joe, as a "lovely wee lad" who was "at the heart" of the club.

The club said "it wouldn't have been a Carey match if Joe wasn't there, cheering the boys on".

The incident is the fourth death on a Northern Irish farm in the last four weeks alone.

It comes after a man died earlier this month after an incident on a farm in Co Antrim, who was described as a 'much loved father of three'.

A father of eight daughters also died 'tragically' on his farm in Co Tyrone, on 20 July.

Before these incidents, a man was killed following an incident on a farm in Co Armagh, on 26 July.

During 2023/2024, there were seven farm-related workplace fatalities in Northern Ireland, according to figures published early last month.

Across the UK as a whole, there were 34 deaths on farms, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.